Methods for treating demyelinating diseases

Abstract

The invention provides a method of reducing the severity and reversing the neurological effects of a demyelinating disease in a subject by administering to a subject having a demyelinating disease an effective amount of a neutralizing agent specific for interferon inducible protein of 10 kDa (IP-10). The methods of the invention promote remyelination of demyelinated nerve fibers and impede further demyyelination of nerve fibers in a subject affected with a demyelinating disease by administering to a subject having a demyelinating disease.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of promoting remyelination in a subject affected with a demyelinating disease, comprising administering to a subject having a demyelinating disease an effective amount of a neutralizing agent specific for interferon inducible protein of 10 kDa (IP10).  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said subject is a mammal.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said subject is human.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said demyelinating disease is multiple sclerosis (MS).  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said neutralizing agent specific for interferon inducible protein of 10 kDa (IP10) is anti-IP-10 antibody.  
     
     
         6 . A method of reducing the severity of a neuroinflammatory disease in a subject, comprising administering to a subject having a neuroinflammatory disease an effective amount of a neutralizing agent specific for interferon inducible protein of 10 kDa (IP-10).  
     
     
         7 . A method of reducing the severity of a neuroinflammatory disease in a subject, comprising administering to a subject having a demyelinating disease an effective amount of an antibody specific for interferon inducible protein of 10 kDa (IP10).  
     
     
         8 . A method of inhibiting T-cell migration into the central nervous system (CNS) associated with a neuroinflammatory disease, comprising administering to a subject an effective amount of a neutralizing agent specific for interferon inducible protein of 10 kDa (IP-10).  
     
     
         9 . A method of reducing the severity of a demyelinating disease, comprising remyelinating demyelinated nerve fibers and impeding demyelination of said nerve fibers by administering to a subject having a demyelinating disease an effective amount of a neutralizing agent specific for interferon inducible protein of 10 kDa (IP10).  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said subject is a mammal.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said subject is human.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said demyelinating disease is multiple sclerosis (MS).  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said neutralizing agent specific for interferon inducible protein of 10 kDa (IP10) is anti-IP-10 antibody.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said neutralizing agent specific for interferon inducible protein of 10 kDa (IP10) is administered by intravenous administration.  
     
     
         15 . A method of identifying a neutralizing agent specific for IP-10 comprising contacting cells expressing an IP-10 receptor with IP-10 in the presence of a candidate neutralizing agent, and determining the occurrence of a biological response associated with IP-10 activity, wherein non-occurrence of said biological response identifies said candidate as an IP-10 neutralizing agent.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said biological response is a change in intracellular calcium level of said cells expressing an IP-10 receptor.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said biological response is migration of said cells expressing an IP-10 receptor.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said receptor is a CXCR3 receptor.